mayer



Feb. 21, 1956 J. R. MAYER CONVERTIBLE TABLE AND SEAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 25, 1955 INVENTOR INVENTOR ATTORNEY Feb. 21. 1956 J. MAYERCONVERTIBLE TABLE AND SEAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q 4 mw Filed March 25, 1955CONVERTIBLE TABLE AND SEAT James R. Mayer, Atlanta, Ga.

Application March 25, 1955, Serial No. 496,844

Claims. (Cl. 155-43) This invention relates to a convertible table, andit has particular reference to a table which is convertible into abench, chair or other seat.

The invention is especially directed to a table which may be employed inrooms or other spaces, such as the cafeterias or assembly halls ofschools or other organizations, and may function as a table when mealsare being served but is convertible into a chair, bench or other seatwhen the room is to serve as an assembly hall, ballroom, theater or thelike.

In accordance with present practice, a properly equipped school isprovided with at least one large room which, in normal use, functions asa cafeteria or dining hall for the students but which may serve also asan assembly hall, ballroom or theater. A room of this kind is furnishedwith a complement of tables and chairs to properly accommodate thestudents at meals, and this type of furnishing is adequate and properfor cafeteria or dining hall use, but in a conversion of the room orspace for use as an assembly hall, ballroom or theater the tables losetheir utility and present a storage problem. Ordinarily for suchconversion the tables are moved against the walls of the room, and thechairs are so disposed, either also against the walls, or inpredetermined arrangement upon the floor, as to best serve the purposefor which the room is to be used.

Obviously, when the tables are not in use they occupy floor space,always at a premium, which might otherwise be serviceable, and oneobject of the invention is to provide a table which may be convertedinto a chair, bench or seat and will thus augment the seating capacityprovided by the usual complement of chairs without adding to the numberof pieces of furniture normally provided for the room.

Another object of the invention is to provide a convertible table theparts of which are so designed, and so function, as to make unlikelyinjury to children and others unskilled in their operation whenconversion from table to chair form, and vice versa, in undertaken.

A further object is to provide means whereby the cooperating parts ofthe device may optionally be releasably retained in table-forming orseat-forming association.

Another object is to provide yielding means for normally urging thecooperating parts of the device to, and

' retaining them in, a position intermediate their tableforming andseat-forming positions.

A still further object is to provide a table convertible to a seat inwhich adequate leg room is provided beneath the table top.

Still another object is to provide a convertible table of ruggedconstruction which may be subjected to rough handling and repeatedconversion from table form to seat form, and vice versa, without injury.

In the interest of economy, and also to provide the desired ruggedness,the frame elements of the device are preferably made as sheet-metalstampings, and a further object of the invention is, therefore, toprovide a design 2,735,478 Patented Feb. 21, 1956 ice which lends itselfreadily to fabrication from sheet metal forms.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises a tableconvertible into a chair, bench or other seat, including a frame havinga pair of similar, spaced, hollow, ground-supported pedestals, a pair ofsimilar yoke members pivotally supported upon said pedestals, meansforming a table top and a seat and seat back secured to said yokemembers, means functioning between said pedestals and yoke members forreleasably securing the yoke members and with them the table top andseat means optionally in table-forming or seat-forming position, andyieldable means reacting between at least one of said pedestals and thepivot means of its respective yoke member for normally biasing said yokemember, and with it the attached table top and seat means, to a positionintermediate said table-forming and seat-forming positions, all as willbe explained hereinafter more particularly and finally claimed.

in the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the severalfigures of which like parts are similarly designated,

Fig. 1 is an end view of a convertible table embodying the features ofthe invention, in table-forming position,

Fig. 2 is a front view of the device as viewed from the left of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing the parts inseat-forming position,

Fig. 4 is a front view of the device as viewed from the left of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional end elevation similar to Fig. l, withparts of the pedestal broken away to disclose the means normallyconcealed within it, and showing the parts in full and broken lines intheir various positions,

Fig. 6 is a sectional front elevation taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the several cooperative elements ofthe pivotal mounting means,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of the outer arm of one of theyoke members,

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of one of the releasable latchingmembers and its operating means,

Fig. 10 is an end view of the latching mechanism as viewed from theright of Figs. 5 and 9, and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of one of the yoke members (the left-handone of Figs. 2 and 4) looking at its inner face and omitting the partsof the table top and seat means normally attached thereto.

The pedestals 1 which provide the ground support for the table arepreferably of hollow construction comprising similar side plates 2(Figs. 5 and 6), U-shaped edge plates 3, and feet 4, all preferablyformed as sheet metal stampings, for example sheet steel.

Substantially centrally of these pedestals, at the axes of curvature ofthe U-shaped edge plates 3, the side plates 2 are provided with pivotbearing openings 5 in which are rotatively journalled pivot bearingmembers 6 (Figs. 6 and 7) joined at their outwardly projecting flattenedend portions 7 with the inner and outer legs 8 and 9 of yoke members 10by means of complemental elongated apertures 11 preferably reinforced bysimilarly apertured re inforcing discs 12 and secured by washers 13 andbolts 14.

Secured to and between the inner legs 8 of the yoke members 10, as bywelding, is the seating member which provides the seat 15 and back 16 ofthe chair or bench, and to the back 16 of this member and adjacentportions of the yoke member 10, particularly its outer leg 9, isattached the table top 17, as by flanges 18 and 19, respectively, andsuitable fastening devices such as screws, bolts or the like 20 (Fig.4).

The table top 17 may be formed as a sheet metal stamping, but it willpreferably be formed of wood (such as ply wood) or of one of the nowcommonly used plastic slab materials such as Formica, Hardboard or thelike.

By this assembly of the parts it will be apparent that when the tabletop 17 is swung through 90 from tableforrning position (Figs. 1 and 2)to seat-forming position (Figs. 3 and 4), it will pivot with the yokes1t) and hearing members 6 in the bearing openings 5 of the side plates 2of the pedestals 1 and will cause these bearing members 6 to rotatethrough a similar angle.

Having reference particularly to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be seen that atleast one, and preferably both, of the bearing members 6 is providedwith a radially ofistanding arm 21 to the outer end 22 of which isconnected one end of each of a pair of similar springs 23, 23 the otherends of which are provided with anchoring means 24, 24' at the oppositeedges of the pedestal 1. As shown in full lines in 5, the arm 21, whichconstitutes a spring tensioning and relaxing member, is disposed at anangle of 45 to a line perpendicular to the table top 17 and hence whenthis top is in table-forming position the spring 23 will be undertension to bias the top toward seat-forming position (shown in dottedlines) and the spring 23 will be substantially relaxed, and when the topis in seat-forming position the spring 23 will be under tension to biasthe top toward table-forming position and the spring 23 will besubstantially relaxed.

intermediate the table-forming and seat-forming positions of the top thesprings 23 and 23 may serve to bring the top to a position of rest (dotand dash lines, Fig. 5), from which it must be moved by the relativelyslight manual pressure necessary to put tension upon one or the other ofthe springs 23, 23' to bring it to either tableforming or seat-formingposition.

Referring particularly to Figs. 5, 6, 9 and 10, it will be seen thatlatch means are provided for securing the table top in either thetable-forming or seat-forming position, these means comprising, ineither one or both of the yoke members, a latching bolt 25 forengagement in one or the other of two 90 spaced keeper openings 26 (Fig.6) in the edge plate 3 of the pedestal 1. The bolt 25 is pressed by aspring 27 so that it will normally seek its seat in one or the other ofthe keeper openings 26, and is furnishcd with a plate 28 engaged by aneccentric 29 which may be rotated by a turn button 39 so that the boltmay be released when desired. If both of the yokes are provided with thelatch means, and this may be preferable, only one turn button 30 need beprovided, but a shaft 31 (Fig. 6) will extend from one eccentric 2.9 tothe other in order that the latch bolts may be actuated simultaneously.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the device of the invention iswell adapted to supply the need for which it is designed. Moreover, asit may normally be used and operated by children it is so designed thatit will not be injured by the rough handling to which it may besubjected and, conversely, will not present a source of injury to thechildren. As to this latter, it will be noted that although the biasingof the table top toward one or the other of its ultimate positions ofuse by the action of the springs 23, 23 will aid children in making theconversion from table to seat or bench, and vice versa, thecounteraction of these springs which causes the table top to come torest, in spring balance, at a mid position, as shown in dot and dashlines, Fig. 5, will prevent inadvertent too-rapid shift from oneultimate position to the other with possible pinching or crushing of thefingers or feet of the children.

Having reference particularly to Figs. 1, 3 and 5, it will be seen thatthe table top 17 is so related to the seat 15, pivot 6 and pedestals 1that when it is in table-forming position there will be adequate knee orleg and foot room beneath it at both of its side (longitudinal) edges,and when it is in seat-forming position there will be space heneath theseat 15 for the heels of those seated upon it.

Also, the association and form of the pedestals 1 and yokes 10 is suchthat when the table top is in seat-forming position they will, ineifect, provide continuous chair or bench arm surfaces (Fig. 3).

Various changes and modifications are considered to be within theprinciple of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A convertible table, including pedestal means, a table top, meanspivotally mounted in said pedestal means and rotative with said tabletop for pivotally mounting said table top upon said pedestal meanswhereby the table top may be swung from horizontal to vertical position,and vice versa, seat'means associated with said table top and swingabletherewith as a unitary structure from non-seat forming position wherethe table top is in horizontal position, to seat-forming position wherethe table top is in vertical position, an arm radially ofistanding fromsaid pivotal mounting means and rotatable therewith, and resilient meanshaving ends connected respectively with said arm and pedestal means, andserving to bias said top to a position of resiliently controlledequilibrium substantially midway between its ultimate horizontal andvertical positions, said resilient means being put under tension by saidarm when said table top is in either of its said ultimate positions andthus serving also to resiliently aid in adjustment of said top from itshorizontal position to its vertical position and vice versa.

2. A convertible table, including pedestal means, a table top, meanspivotally mounted in said pedestal means and rotative with said tabletop for pivotally mounting said table top upon said pedestal meanswhereby the table top may be swung from horizontal to vertical position,and vice versa, seat means associated with said table top and swingabletherewith as a unitary structure from non-seat-forming position wherethe table top is in horizontal position, to seat-forming position wherethe table top is in vertical position, and yielding means comprising apair of similar yieldable members each having one end connected with atensioning and relaxing member carried by said pivotal mounting meansand functioning upon rotation thereof in response to swinging of saidtable top and its other end anchored to said pedestal means, saidyieldable members thereby serving upon pivotal movement of the table topto bias said top to a position of resiliently controlled equilibriumsubstantially midway between its horizontal position and its verticalposition, said yielding means serving also to resiliently aid inadjustment of said table top from its horizontal position to itsvertical position and vice versa.

3. A convertible table is claimed in claim 2, in which when said tabletop is in table-forming position one of the yieldable members of thepair of same is in tensioned condition and when the table top is inseat-forming position the other of said yieldable members is intensioned condition, and cooperating latch means carried by at least oneof said pedestals and its yoke member, respectively, are provided forsecuring said unitary structure of table top and seat means in one orthe other of its ultimate table-forming or seat-forming positions, saidsecuring means serving to thereby maintain one or the other of theyieldable members of said yieldable means under tension reacting uponthe pedestal to assist in swinging said structure to its oppositeultimate position.

4. A convertible table, comprising a pair of relatively spacedground-supported pedestals, each of said pedestals being provided with ayoke member pivotally mounted thereon, and a table top and a seat memberextending from one of said yoke members to the other and connectedthereto to provide a unitary structure swingable on said pivotalmountings from table-forming to seatforming position, and vice versa,each of said pedestals being of hollow construction including a pair ofvertical relatively spaced side plates and each of said yoke membershaving its legs complemental to and in juxtaposition to the outer facesof the side plates of its respective pedestal, the pivotal mounting ofeach yoke member upon its respective pedestal including a pivot bearingmember spanning the space between and journalled in the side plates ofits said pedestal for pivotal movement, the opposite ends of saidbearing members being formed for relatively non-rotative fixedconnection with the respective yoke legs to impart rotation to saidbearing member when the unitary structure of said table top and seatmember is swung.

5. A convertible table as claimed in claim 4, in which at least one ofsaid bearing members is provided with a radially ofistanding arm, andresilient means connected with said arm and with its respective pedestaland serving normally to bias and maintain said unit structure of tabletop and seat member in a position of resiliently con- References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,184,594 Nagy May 23,1916 1,199,336 Bean Sept. 26, 1916 1,207,510 Decker Dec. 5, 19161,271,830 Austin July 9, 1918 2,312,636 Froelich Mar. 2, 1943 2,711,208Garland June 21, 1955

